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Government quashes opposition request for question period in middle of budget vote

The House of Commons calendar still reads Wednesday, June 13, as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs John Duncan, left to right, Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Heritage James Moore, Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney, and Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz are recognized as they continue to vote on amendments to the budget Bill C-38 in the House of Commons on Thursday, June 14, 2012. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

The opposition parties asked the federal government overnight to suspend the marathon voting session on the government’s budget bill for one hour Thursday afternoon, just long enough to get in the daily question period. The government turned down the request, meaning that voting will go on without abatement until the early hours of Friday morning.

He then quipped that the government likely said no because it doesn’t quite like question period.

“Something about being held to account,” he told reporters outside the Commons as voting continued inside.

Parliamentary rules provide for a daily question period, but those rules get thrown out during extended votes. Why? Because until the House finally adjourns, the day hasn’t ended, meaning a new day hasn’t started and bringing with it a required question period.

Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Thursday, June 14, 2012. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty blamed the decision on the opposition parties, saying that if they weren’t intent on slowing down the vote, there would have been time for question period.

“They wasted all this time,” Flaherty told reporters, arguing that the delay tactics were also costing taxpayers money.

“It’s expensive the run the House of Commons and then (they) have the nerve to say we want to have question period? This is chutzpah.”

Had the government acquiesced to the request, it likely would have been the first time in more than 10 years that an extended vote had been put on pause long enough to get in the daily question period. According to the Library of Parliament (which was kind enough to give a prompt response to our librarian Kirsten Smith), extended votes in December 1999, March 2000, and June 2011 went on without a break for question period.